The first Hawkens were less stylized than later models and were Fullstocked. U = Unconfirmed, not inspected in detail but fall within SN ranges of confirmed rifles and we accepted as correct from the source. A special select division of two companies was also part of the organization. The same technology of SDS powder that made these rifles possible was adopted for our first military short rifle. Frank A. Tait, "The U.S. Contract Rifle Pattern of 1792," MAN AT ARMS Magazine, Vol. Not only have we found many military rifles made before December of 1803, but we have irrefutable government correspondence placing a prototype in Dearborns hands by December of 1803. (26)(24), Clark writes of the same event: The Guns of Sergt. A show of force was part of the plan. Caliber was .54 . TYPE I Lewis and Clark contract rifles (M1800 only) made specifically for their expedition. only one rifle in stock the 1792 / 1794 model. under contract for the United States Army in 1792 and 1794. What becomes immediately apparent is that Dearborn is describing an existing rifle, in hand, in order to have such a detailed description for Perkin. All anyone needs to do, for their own satisfaction, is to professionally check it out for themselves. Louisiana Governor Claibornes return of arms for the years 1807, 1810 and 1811 show these arms in inventory at New Orleans. and fit them with new locks. Lewis (on his accidental shooting by Private Cruzatte), August 12,1806 the ball had lodged in my breeches which I knew to be the ball of the short rifles such as that he had. Even if Bomford is incorrect in his yearly production figures, the total production of 4015 (not including pattern rifle) would be unchanged. It was from this chart that Dearborn chose 76 officers for removal during the Army reductions of that year. It is agreed that they followed the same basic shop patterns used for their civilian market. In additional correspondence of February 4,1792, barrel lengths of 42 were requested with 40 balls to the pound (.49 caliber bore). Perkins was known as an expert lock filer and may have done them personally. These dates and passages are very important to the researcher. The term she in Lewiss remarks refers to the rifle itself and is a common vernacular of 18th century America. Lewiss took 50 pounds of Best Rifle Powder from Harpers Ferry and purchased 176 pounds of English Cannister Powder from Beck & Harvey in Philadelphia, who made the best rifle powder in the world. We can be grateful for his diligence and time expended on this subject. Lewiss expedition was undoubtedly the most difficult test trial that a newly designed weapon could undergo. This single fact alone is enough to show the inaccuracy of the Bomford records since he shows no short rifles, pattern or otherwise, produced in 1803. Also, IBID, May/June 2016 story on Colter. No rifles left Harpers Ferry without at least SOME of the requested alterations. Unfortunately, other listed 1803 dated rifles (U) from various collections, auctions and sales catalogs could not be examined in greater details for straight or flared upper pipe. Straight upper pipe on SN 94, made pre-December 1803 (changes) in the Cody, Wyoming museum. In many instances they were free from the normal camp and fatigue duties of the common soldier and were encouraged to practice with their rifles as often as possible. 127-132. He brought with him 15 of his most highly-skilled workmen. An 1812 publication The Handbook for Riflemen by William Duane, second in command of the United States Regiment of Riflemen from 1808 to 1810, states A rifleman is never supposed to leave his rifle unloaded, and contrary to the rule of the infantry, who always carry their arms on the left shoulder, the rifleman carries his, unless he shifts it for rest, on his right side, either trailed or at the advance.(47). From the available evidence, it seems that Dearborn was so impressed Left 1804 dated rifle, 33 barrel with original 7 groove polygon rifling with flat land. The M1792 was a heavier built US Contract Rifles 1792 & 1807 1800 US Short Rifle (Lewis and Clark Rifle) (935) 1803 - 1819 Harpers Ferry Rifles (500 A) (500 B) (500 C) History, Facts and Descriptions of 1803 Harpers Ferry Rifles 1814 Common Rifle (516 A) 1817 Common Rifle (516 B) US Common Rifle Cleaning Set (537) Louisiana Purchase. The War Department expended $9520.49 in 1799 on new arms manufacturing yet manufacturing of muskets did not get well under way until 1801. (50) On August 6, 1805, Lewiss air rifle had the sights knocked off by an accident with the canoes rolling over. cit./Table D) The totals agree from two different sources, giving credibility to 4,015 total production. Moller makes an interesting statement regarding storekeeper George Ingalls (Schuylkill Arsenal) 1810 records in his chapter on the 1807 contract rifles and is worth quoting in its entirety The dates that the rifles were entered in the storekeepers records usually summarized several earlier deliveries and should not be construed as the actual dates of deliveries. The Lewis and Clark short rifle Harpers Ferry short rifle SN 15, built in 1803 was used as a pattern for our rifle project once we verified its authenticity. This is the first part of our study on two important weapons carried on the Lewis & Clark expedition, the second being the Airgun. Perhaps some of the journals were lost. Rather than be dependent upon British SDS powder, around which the 33 barreled Model 1803 rifle was designed, the new rifle of 1814, with an increase in 1815 to a 36 barrel, could now use the slightly less powerful French formula DuPont rifle powder. He shows up on the Lancaster County tax lists for 1785-1840. (18) When Dearborn requested the December changes, finished weapons had the straight upper ramrod pipes BRAZED to the rib. sum of $2,500.00 to fund a small expeditionary group, known as the DuPont rifle powder (FFFg) made its appearance in the market in 1808, probably at the request of the U.S. Government since it is the same year the first rifle regiment was raised. The third observation is that an entirely new lightweight lock was specified for the rifle, meaning that no lock of that style had been previously used on military weapons. According It is held that they would be safe if they were 3 feet 2 inches; and if so much barrel, rod and stock were added, and 14 1/2. All I had to do was prove that Harpers Ferry COULD have made his guns within the allotted timeframe and that a lot of period records being used as gospel by writers for many years were wrong. [1] He told Hand that the contract was for 500 rifles, but that he was willing to extend it to 1,000. Our first rifle manual was published 1812 as The Handbook for Riflemen, written by William Duane, second in command of the United States Regiment of Riflemen from 1808 to 1810. Lewis held Colter in high esteem, and he was well known among his peers as an honest and truthful man, adding credence to his encounter and story of survival. The fiscal year 1804 was the same as the calendar year until 1838, so storekeeper production reporting of new weapons built in 1803 may simply be the result of Harpers Ferry exceeding their new production budget for the year 1803, forcing them to delay production reporting until fiscal year 1804. Edward Flanagan, who wrote a paper on the 1792 and 1807 contract rifles, believes that the weapons were marked by the U.S. government, a lesson learned from gun thefts during the Revolutionary War. Lewiss task was to explore and map this region as well as collect unknown flora and fauna. Morgans combined forces of riflemen went on to inflict great casualties among the British officers and artillerymen unfortunate enough to be caught in the open.(9). Don is a wealth of knowledge, and his kits are top quality. (21) The fact that he shot the rifles at the arsenal also hints that they were of a totally different design than the M1792 long rifle with which he was already well familiar. pairs of bullet molds, 15 wipers or gun worms, 15 ball screws, President Jefferson would not have left Lewis in the dark about the upcoming deal with France. Jedediah Starr Trading Co. On Line Store. John Potts, another expedition member, was killed in this encounter. 318. A wax plug was driven the full length of the barrel and then measured for the true size. the lock, barrel, and stock, is the bare minimum needed to tell if the rifle is an original assembly. With the discovery of Serial Number 15 Model 1800 rifle we have categorized, for the purpose of this study, the Harpers Ferry rifles into five categories for a clearer understanding. Both were supplied by Harpers Ferry arsenal. Lock fitting was so critical that Harpers Ferry locks have assembly numbers (forward of the pan on the narrow edge of the lock in Roman Numerals) to keep it with the rifle to which it was fitted. Jefferson, up to 1802, held ongoing negotiations with France toward purchase of only New Orleans. After being given to states when obsolete, many were converted to percussion. This was all prompted by our shaky relations with France over their ongoing conflict with England (with who we continued trade after a 1794 treaty, which France claimed violated their 1778 Alliance with us) that came to a head with the XYZ Affair of 1798 when France insulted our delegates. It is obvious that the gunsmiths in York and Lancaster took the opportunity to clean out old inventory of rifle parts, even to the point of forming cartels to this end, sharing patch boxes, locks and other mountings. Perkin had gained extensive knowledge in English arms production, having served his apprenticeship in the Birmingham gun trade before immigrating to America in 1774. The Legion of the United States was authorized by Congress on October 24, 1791 after the defeat of General Arthur St. Claire by the Miami Indians in November of 1790. That answer emerges clearly if we put the smaller pieces of the puzzle into one large finished picture. These arms enjoyed the longest production run in U.S. history, lasting until 1844, with nearly 700,000 muskets turned out during this period. Clark, July 2, 1806 We gave the Second gun to our guides agreeable to our promis..two of the rifles have unfortunately bursted near the muscle. Considering the importance of an expedition authorized by President Jefferson along with Dearborns instructions to Perkin to make whatever Lewis needed without delay, his 17 production workers (some books indicate as many as 20) would have had ample time to manufacture his rifles with the raw materials available at the arsenal with only labor costs. been issued to Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. [2] What distinguishes them from civilian rifles is that they were bought by the government under military contract. That his men had become expert shots is recorded in the journals as they held shooting contests with Indians along the way. Considering the emergency under which these rifles were ordered, they probably were NOT budgeted for 1803. Unknown to the United States, The Treaty of San Ildefonso (October 1, 1800) ceded Louisiana back to France but Spain basically ignored the treaty, most likely due to Spains reluctance to give up her forts along the east bank of the Mississippi river land that was ceded to the United States by England in the Treaty of Paris. His position as Arsenal Superintendent gave him access to a large reference collection of various types of rifles stored at the arsenal, including samples of British rifles of the American Revolution with their proven technology using fine German rifle powder (SDS), all of which found its way into the new United States Army short rifle.(11). Various spellings of his name are recorded. (40) IBID, Vol 6, pg. One explanation for this attitude could have been Frances desire to attach the sale of the port to the entire Louisiana Territory. There are no explanations for these omissions. We believe the riflemans bag was of the same two-compartment design issued to later riflemen using metal powder flasks, the only difference being their bags would not have had the flask suspension straps. he should weigh his powder, and note the difference of effect with a greater or less quantity of powder, and how far the quantity of powder affects the shot.. cit., Vol 1, Pgs. Spain had not given their permission to cross into their territories beyond the Rockies, so to insure the safety of the party, the world at large was left to believe that the expedition would be only the planned 8 to 12 men as approved by Congress. See the special Chapter VIII for more information on these contract rifles. British soldiers returning to England after our American Revolution spun tales about the unerring accuracy of our long rifle that are hard to dispel even today. Americans along the Mississippi, especially the new State of Kentucky, were furious and the United States overtly began preparations for war (saber rattling) over this issue in early 1803. The English system of averdupois uses 453.6 grams per pound, and they used the term caliber to denote bore size, not ball size. Each new writer simply took the word of a previous author without checking for themselves. Arsenal inspection of weapons prior to release was ordered to begin in the 1797-98 period. Adopted in 1803, this premier rifle (and the only flintlock rifle) built by a national armory at Harpers Ferry was, as stated earlier, a handsome gun, measuring some 49" overall. Old manuals on the rifles list a 218 to 219 grain ball. 98). Windsor birst his gun near the muzzle a few days since; this Shields cut off and I exchanged it with the Cheif for the one we had given him for conducting us over the mountain. All military production 1803-1806 rifles have the heptagonal flat bottom rifling (Dearborns special rifling reference). The style and placement of these markings varied considerably on the guns we inspected, from tiny detailed marks to big, crude scratches and cuts, so you must study them carefully. Harpers Ferry Park needs to rethink the role this new rifle played in history and give it a deserving place in their museum, after all, there is a much bigger and better story to tell the public. (16) This confirms that by 1803 the need for a standard rifle was fully recognized by the Army. 9. Henry Leman built a classic plains rifle, and Henry Deringer (of pocket pistol fame) also built sturdy rifles for the Fur Trade. the first was repared with a new lock, the old one having become unfit for uce; the second had the cock screw broken which was replaced by a duplicate which had been made prepared for the lock at Harpers ferry where she was manufactured. Powder was too valuable on the frontier to waste. 42" rifled barrel bored 40 balls to the pound (about .490"), stock to be made from well seasoned maple, catch spring release to be high so as to be accessible to the thumb. It is interesting to note that in 1802, 500 rifles were sent to the Mississippi territory (to William S. Hollings, U.S. consul in New Orleans) and may have been in the hands of riflemen at the Battle of New Orleans. These were all inspected by Joseph Perkin and carry his IP in circle as a final inspection mark in the wood opposite the lock. (1) The design (patterning) of new weapons at this time could be a slow process, identical to the British methods and done without drawings. tons of supplies carried by the members of the Corps, including To fully understand the role this rifle played in our military history, one must also understand the times in which it appeared. This all gets confusing when using British and French documents for research and reference. Whether Lewis had previous knowledge of the existence of the new rifle due to his close relationship with Dearborn, we shall never know, but he would have jumped at the chance to obtain the new short rifle for his expedition. Most reconversions are easy to spot, but we have seen original rifles that have had the touchhole bushed (using hardened iron or brass) which will not erode. Using this as a crude standard, Lewiss 15 rifles would have required approximately 750 man-hours to produce, meaning they could have conservatively been completed in less than two weeks with materials available at the arsenal. We also encountered some pipe distance variations on the Lewis rifle and some pre-December,1803 military guns. From the numbers above we now know that a large quantity of rifles were made in 1803. In the 1950s, when gun collecting became big, many were converted back to flint. Both armories also produced the Model 1842 percussion musket and Model 1855 percussion . Above is a 10-shot group at 65 yards with Rifle SN 1, using 65 grains of SDS powder, 6 bulls-eye. and Lewis' former Army colleague William Clark, the Corps would (9) Tony Hunter, The Wilderness Fighters: Part Four, (Muzzleloader Magazine, JULY/AUG 2005), Pgs. The rifle is in almost relic condition, weathered, sun bleached and exhibiting an extremely hard life in the outdoors. We were only looking at serial numbers vs. lock dates to establish a yearly production timeline. Eleven different gunsmiths took the contract on, delivering 1,476 rifles between April 1792 and December 1792. This may have been done as part of an actual arsenal (or state) overhaul or just to enhance their value to a collector. Lewis quietly went about gathering his supplies for his small party of men so as not to expose the real size of the expedition about 30 men, all under Army authority and pay.(6). Periods where Lewis made no entries are September 19 to November 11 of 1803, May 14, 1804 to April 7, 1805 (almost an entire year) and August 26, 1805 to January 1, 1806.(23). from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, produced these rifles. After the official adoption of the rifle and its new nomenclature, both long rifle and short rifle begin to appear in inventory records. The ramrod pipe begins to gain a very distinctive upper pipe flair toward the end of the contract. We have only his account of events for this survival story, with the known fact that he arrived at Ft. Remon almost naked with sore feet and starving. In all actuality, they could not have left us better evidence regarding their use of the new short rifles soon to be part of the Army inventory.(50). were the prototype for the M1803 rifle. Right -1819 dated rifle, 36 barrel with 7 groove round bottom rifling with curved lands. Slings were never a part of the American rifleman culture in the 18th and 19th century for a good reason they got in the way when stalking game and they snag on equipment when traveling on horseback or in canoes. <snip> Except its not "short". It is worthy of being reprinted in its entirety for its minute detail and insight into the military thinking of the time. (37), The short rifle was Americas first experiment with fine powders and high pressures. Again, every part examined and described herein displays matching assembly numbers, confirming that the rifle is an original arsenal assembly and unaltered since 1803. All these early 1803 rifles have had the other two December 1803 changes applied flat sight and the stock ferrule. May,1985. Use and wear quickly changes this. It was under these clouds of potential war that the short rifle was born. These are good serial numbers to help determine correct lock plate dates with serial numbers. With that threat over, the American rifle battalions were dropped in the May 4, 1800 Army reorganization. He is credited in Arms Makers of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Woods & Whisker, Pg. 15,707 rifles were produced on this contract. Gunsmiths Until the end of 1838 the fiscal year was a calendar year. If fired (used) it will display slight erosion around the bushing. Also, ALL 1803 and some early 1804 rifles carry Joseph Perkins inspector cartouche IP in a circle. The above lists are as accurate a yearly production record we can hope to reconstruct based upon known rifles instead of conflicting documents. John Shields, the man who fixed everything, including Lewiss airgun, returned to the Missouri to roam with Daniel Boone, a reputed relative. This is the only picture I have to work with of the entire rifle. NOTE ALL 1803 dated rifles were final inspected by Joseph Perkins (IP in circle on wood opposite the lock). From 1796-1800, a number (332) of 1792 rifles were loaned to the Indian Department from storage at Schuylkill Arsenal In Philadelphia. Lewis was also no stranger to the use of rifles. In the day when an average soldier could only dream of hitting an X on a wood block at 30 paces, a good rifleman in action was something to behold as he placed shot after shot into it. (10) Stephen E. Ambrose, Undaunted Courage, (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Pg. The highest serial numbered 1803 rifle we could confirm is 318. (39), Lewis, February 1, 1806(Ft Clatsop, Oregon) To day we opened and examined all our ammunition, which had been secured in leaden canesters. It would not have changed the size of the ball. The principal means of loading when ranging as individuals was with loose powder and ball. is to manufacture. All Harpers Ferry series rifles are .520 calibre (ball) with .530 bore. The only way to know for sure if the gun is all original is to take it apart and check at least the assembly numbers that are a mixture of dots and/or Roman numerals ( usually struck with a small chisel or file) on the barrel, stock and lock.. It is the first style American issue military horn. Not only was it the first military rifle produced at a government arsenal, but also the first U.S. military weapon to use extra fine double strength powder that stretched firearms technology to the limits of its day. Moreover, Dearborn's It also has a button release for the patch-box (as specified in the contract) under the toe plate where it might not get accidentally bumped), scant incised carving andmoderately engraved brass. Lower photo: 1803 dated rifle SN 15 with its straight pipe. Today, that same term would not apply to anything regarding a rifle. Pryor were both out of order. 337, 347 & Appendix 5. This basic fact completely rules out the use 1792 rifles on the expedition. The next day he reset the sights and regulated the gun. Other than needing money to continue their war with England, Napoleon had no troops to keep us out of the territory. Major historical writers on antique firearms could not find an explanation for the errors found in both the Harpers Ferry 1805 pistol and 1795 musket production. The rear sight is a buckhorn long rifle style (see appendix I), favored for using Kentucky windage by frontiersmen for long range shooting, stamped with the assembly number on the underside to match with the assembly number stamped in the dovetailed slot on the barrel (no other assembly number appears on the barrel, which is unusual since government rifles are marked on the underside, indicating perhaps a special run of guns. Significantly, the requisition paperwork from Harpers Ferry does not Ed Pugsley was an employee of Winchester and turned over much of his collection to the company. It is important to note that we only bought the rights to legally acquire full ownership from the inhabitants of the territory. Lewis, U.S.A., Early U.S. Military Riflemen, (The American Rifleman, December,1958), Pg. Amos Stoddards Artillery Company dated February 24, 1803 states that their arms were in tolerable order, old and incomplete, and noting that ..Ball Screwdrivers, Brushes Prickers and Gunslings wanting. If we look at those preparations, we can easily see that he was equipping for a larger expedition than approved by Congress. The new heptagonal .530 caliber bore of the 1803 rifle has wide flat lands with narrow grooves instead of the concave lands and grooves found in many of the second production (1815-1819) rifles. Note the slightly flared pipe. 567. Gump signature on M1792/94 contract rifle . Unfortunately he died May 7, 1812, not at hostile hands, but by jaundice (another term for blood poisoning). completed M1792 rifles were received from various locations, but Judge Thomas Rodney, who met Lewis on his way West and accurately described Lewiss airgun, was appointed by Jefferson to settle all land disputes in the new Louisiana Territory, especially those holding previous legitimate land titles. The use, or lack of use, of certain terminology in descriptions was intentional, all being proper for his day. A letter also exists from Tench Coxe to William Eustis (Secretary of War) dated Nov 11, 1811 states It is considered that these rifles are so short as to be dangerous to the soldier, being only thirty-three inches. By that time, Lewis and Clark were leaving The butt end of the ramrod should be concaved suited to the shape of the Ball the locks should be light and well executed the mounting should be brass there should be at least two thousand of these rifles made. We believe the sharp ears of the buckhorn sight were detrimental to field use, plus you would have to be an experienced shooter (as were Lewiss men) to understand the way in which the buckhorn sight was used for long distances (called Kentucky windage). But it wasn't until October 1803 that the first of It is both significant and fortunate that Perkin had some of the best gunsmiths and artisans available for Lewiss project, many of whom already were, or would become, noted gunsmiths in their own rights.
